Plastic-block-making machine



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PLASTIC BLOCK MAKING MACHINE Filed De'c. 10 1921 4 sheets-sheet 4 l Wow/UCM Patented Oct. 30, 1923.Y

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sYLvns'rEa n. nummern., vor nocx nume, Iowa. PLAsTc-BLocx-MAXING- mennen Application filed Decembervlo, 1921.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SYLVESTER H. PET'rnN- GILL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Rock Rapids, in the county of Lyon and Stateof Iowa. have invented .a new and useful Plastic-Block-Making Machine, of which the following isa Specifica-l tion.

My invention is a plastic block making machine and its all important object is to provide a machine or mold which will form the block and otherwise fashion the same with comparative ease and which, at the same time, will not be laborious to operate.

A further object of the invention is to provide a block making machine or mold which is so constructed as to render the handlin of the concrete or other plastic materia unnecessary while the machine or mold is being operated.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a machine of this character where` in the various steps necessary in making the block can be carried out by a single workman.

Another general object of the invention is to prqvide a mold or block making machine which is simple in construction, consists of few parts, can be manufactured and sold at a nominal cost andwill be comparatively simple to operate.

With the preceding and other objects and advantages in mind the invention consists in the novel combination of elements, constructions and arrangements of parts and operations to be hereinafter referred to in detail, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a block making machine constructed in accordance `with my invention, the dotted line illustratmg the mechanism in operated position;

Figure 2 is a similar view of thc machine in the act of forming'a block, parts being y broken awa Figure 3 is a front elevationhavingparts brokenaway;

Figure 4 .isy atop plan view of tlie'mm chine; y l

Figure 5 is a `fragmentary detail View of the latch mechanism embodied in the Yin@4 vention. p l v Referring in detail to the drawings wherein like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several semi No.' 521,449.

views, the numeral 5 designates a vertical eo the opposite vertical-faces of the standard lor base 5 and are formed with laterally. disposed ears S with which horizontal rods 9. are connected. A bottom 10 for the mold box 6 is carried between the end walls 7, and, when 'the mold or machine is in the position shown in Figure 3, rests upon the upper face of the vertical standard or base 5.

Iounted upon one side of the base or standard 5 is a horizontal shelf 11, upon which a table 12 is supported. Normally resting on the table 12'is a bottomless hopper 13 for containing the concrete or other plastic material. The hopper 13 is provided with pivoted end walls 14.- which are normally disposed in divergent relation and contents of the hopper. In order to operate the end walls 14, a hand lever 15 is pivoted intermediate its ends to one of the side walls of the hopper, and connecting the opposite ends of this lever are operating rods 16 which have pivotal connection with the upper ends of the end walls 14. Supported at the opposite side of the standard or base 5 is a platform 16 upon which the finished block is adapted to rest.

In order to swing the hopper 13 to overlie the mo'ld box, as shown in dotted lines in Figure l, a pair of. substantially vertically disposed-links 17 are provided and which have their lower ends pivoted to the'base or vertical standard 5, as indicated at 18, while their upper ends are operatively connected with the side walls of the hopper through tlie'mediuni of slot and pin coniiections 19. Rearwardly and angularly disposed handles 19 are rigidly connected with the links A17'. It will be seen that upon forward'movement of the handles 19 the hopper 18 will be swung forwardly to register with or overlie `the Vupper end of the mold box 6. `When in rthis positionv the lever 1.5 is rocked to swingy the end walls 14 to a vertical positionto cause the plastic material to drop into the mold box. l

The opposite side faces of thevertical standard orl base 5 are provided withvertically extending grooves or guideways 20 in which blocks 21 yare slidably mounted, the latter being rigidly connected with the inner faces of the end walls 7. Extendin transversely through the lower end of t .e base or standard is a rock shaft 22, to the ends of which toggle levers 23 are connected, these levers being operatively connected with the blocks or slides 21, as indicated at 24:.

A handle 25 is tixed to the rock shaft 22 and are adapted to engage a is normally in the position shown in Figure 1. Upon rocking the lever 25 rearwardly the mold box 6 will be lifted through the medium of the toggle connections above mentioned.

A substantially tl-shaped bracket 26 is supported directly above the mold box 6 and pivoted to one leg of this bracket is a normally substantially horizontally disposed operating lever 27, the free end of this lever being normally urged upwardly by a contractile' spring 28. Pivoted to the lever 28 is a vertical rod or stem 29, provided with a collar 30 adapted to be engaged by a pivoted latch element carried by the apex of the bracket 26. One end of this latch element 31 is weighted as at 32. Thus, when the rod or stem 29 is moved downwardly by the le ver 27 the nose of the latch element will fall against the collar 30, as shown in Figure 2, and thereby hold the stem or rod 29 in lowered position against the tension of the spring 2S. Pivoted to the lower end of the rod or stem'29 is an elongated member 33 which carries pairs of divergent arms 34, terminating at their ends in feet 35, which follower 36 arranged n the mold box 6. In order to return 'the elongated member 33 to the position shown in Fi re 1 a cable or other flexible element 37 1s provided, which passes over pulleys 38 and has one end attached to the elongated member 33 and its opposite end weighted as at 39.

In the operation of my improved plastic block making marhine or mold the hopper containing plastic material is swung to the dotted `line position shown in Figure 1 and the plastic material ejected therefrom by manipulation of the end walls, as above set forth. The hopper is then swun back to rest on the table 12 and the fo lower 36 superposed on the batch. The operator then swings the elongated member 33 downwardly to dispose the legs 34 in a vertical position'and then moves the lever 27 downwardly to lower the legs 34 into the mold box 6, in which position they are held bythe latch 31 engaging the collar 30 as above outlined. The mold box is then raised ver-- tically through the medium of the operating y lever 25 to strip the mold Ibox from the block. After the block has been thus stripped it is moved laterally from beneathl the mold box, as indicated in idotted lines in Figure 2, and deposited Yon the shelf or platform 16'. The handle 25 is now returned to normal position to lower the mold retrasan box. The member 33, 'carrying the legs 34, is returned to horizontal position by the weighted cable 37 and the latch'33 disengaged from the collar 30 to permit the lever 27 to return to normal position.

lt is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and describedis to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United States, is:A

1. A block making machine comprising a verticall movable mold box, a normally substantially horizontally disposed lever pivoted above the mold box, a ,vertical member depending therefrom, an elongated meinber pivoted to the lower end of the vertical member, a lplurality of feet carried by the latter and adapted to engage a follower laced upon the in the mold box, locking means for holding the vertical member rigid, means for raising the mold box to form the press, meansfor swinging the feet to inoperative position after the subsequent lowering of the mold box, and means for normally returning the lever to its initial position.

2. A block making machine including a vertical standard, a mold box having end walls straddling the standard slidably connecting the, mold box therewith, a follower, and means for elevating the box about the follower.

3. A block making machine including a vertical standard, a mold box having end walls straddling the standard slidably connecting the mold box therewith, a follower, and blocks slidable upon the standard to cooperate with the box for elevating the box about the follower. 1

4. A block making machine including a vertical standard, a mold box having end walls straddling the standard slidably connecting the mold box therewith, a follower, the standard being provided at opposite sides thereof with vertical grooves, and blocks slidable in said grooves to co-operate with the box for elevating the box about the follower.

5. A block making machine including a vertical standard, a mold box having end walls straddling the standard slidably connectingthe mold box therewith, a follower, the standard being provided at opposite sides thereof with vertical grooves, blocks slidable in saidgrooves to co-operate with the box, a rock shaft upon the standard, levers carried by said shaft, links connecting said levers with lthe blocks, and means for upper face of the batch f mold boa,

active position, and

Maanen" '1 111g Said shaft and raising the blocks to elevate said box.

6.l A block making machine including a mold box, means for elevatin the box, a vertical rod above the box, a follower abutment member pivoted tothe lower end of said rod to swing downwardly thereon to ently of the rod to inactive posltion.

7. A block making machine including a means for elevating the box, a vertical rod above the box, a follower abutmentmember pivoted to 'tbe lowereend of said rod to swing downwardly thereon to active position, and a counterweiglit connected with said member for automaticaly.

swinging said member upwardly indepen ently of the rod to inactive position.

l 8. A block makingmachine including a mold box, means for elevating the box, a vertical rod above the box, means for dcpressing or elevating the rod, a vfollower abutment member pivoted to the lower end of said rod tol swing downwardly thereon Vto .active poaftion,

and means for automatimeans for automatically, swinging said member upwardly independl oted latch cally swinging said member upwardly independently of the rod to inactive position.

9. A block making machine including a mold box, means for elevating the box, a

-vertical rodl abovethe box, means for depressing or elevating the rod, means for automatically locking the rod depressed, a follower abutment member pivoted to the ower end of said rod to' swing downwardly thereon to active position, and means for automatically swinging said member' upwardly independent position. 1

l0. A block making mold box, means for elevatin vertical roel above the box, a le pressing or elevating the upon the lever for y of the rod to inactive svnvnsrnn n. Pnr'rnnomn.

machine including a 

